Tesla bows to recall demand

Tesla is recalling nearly 135,000 Model S and Model X vehicles with touchscreen displays that may fail and increase the risk of a crash, following pressure from US safety regulators.

The move comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked the electric carmaker to recall about 158,000 vehicles over media control unit failures.

Concerns were raised over 2012-2018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles, with the NHTSA saying touchscreen failures may lead to the loss of rear-view or backup camera images, exterior turn-signal lighting, and windshield defogging and defrosting systems.

The recall of 134,951 cars will begin March 30. Tesla notes the recall does not include some vehicles with upgraded processors built after March 2018.

The marque says in a filing with NHTSA that “in the interest of bringing administrative closure to the investigation and to ensure the best ownership experience for our customers” it agrees to a voluntary recall, reports Reuters.

Tesla adds 88 per cent of owners in the US have received over-the-air updates to some functionalities that may be affected if the touchscreens fail.